Upwards and Onwards
by Ringmaster Frona
Summary: A seventeen year old Fem!Frisk, working her way out of the Underground in into the monster settlement Up There. What could go wrong? (Rated T for language and stuff. Possibly will be some Frisk x Sans in there. Or something. You'll never know.)
1. Bingo!

Frisk sat in her chair at the skeleton brothers' table, along with Undyne, Alphys, Toriel, and Mettaton. It was bingo night, and she was winning. As it became her turn, Mettaton called the number, and she placed down her checker with a grin. "Bingo!" She yells, high-fiving Undyne. Undyne, though she was very close to winning, was always proud when y Frisk won bingo night - which was almost every Wednesday night, when it took place. Mettaton grinned. "Alright, darling! There's our winner!" He called out in his robotic-yet-smooth voice, congratulating her. Somehow, Sans and Undyne were tied, with Papyrus close behind and Toriel almost in sync with him.

"Good job, my child." She beams as Frisk got up to go get a bottle of water from the fridge. "Thank you for letting us over, Papyrus." She thanks the taller skeleton, to which he replies with a smile.

"IT IS NO PROBLEM, YOUR MAJESTY! IT IS SIMPLY SOMETHING WE DO EVERY WEDNESDAY." He replied in his naturally loud voice. When Frisk came back in, she received a pat on the shoulder from Sans. "good job, kiddo." He said, giving her his customary grin. She smiled back, replying with a simple thank-you. It was always the brothers' pleasure to have all of them over for Bingo Night, Spaghetti Saturday, and other such celebrations. Even if they would soon be going Up, to the Surface, it was still fun to spend time with them while she could. Besides, she'd be going up shortly after as well.

She smiles as she grabs her sweater from the coatrack, putting it on over the tank she'd worn. Snowdin was always cold, but the Ruins - where she lived at the moment - was usually warm and homey. So, she had brought her sweater over it. Alphys had said she looked cute, to which she'd responded with a nod and 'thanks'. Waving goodbye as she walked out of the threshold with Toriel, Sans stopped her. "'ey, kiddo. you forgot your prize." He was grinning more than usual, and she smirked.

"What?"

"here ya go." He gave her a hotcat, to which she responded with a chuckle. "Thanks," she laughs as she waves to him. The trek back to the Ruins was not far, nor was it tiring, but it was cold as all hell. When they got back to the Ruins, she wiped her head free of frost and shed her sweater, dropping it into her bag. "Bingo was fun tonight, was it not? I am proud of you for winning." Toriel said warmly as they entered her home.

"It was great, mom," Frisk replies with a grin, yawning. "I'm off to bed. Goodnight." She says, blinking and heading into the room, which had been upgraded from child's bedroom to teenager's lounge. It still was orange and peach coloured, but the dresser had been moved, and a few things were in different places. Her sheets were now blue as well. She slipped off her shirt and bra, slipping into a button-up fleece with matching pajama pants. Ah, these were her favorites. She smiled into her recently-added vanity and mirror, quickly braiding her hair. It had grown long over the years - she had come here at age nine and was now almost seventeen - but she loved it. It had darkened a bit as well, from "chestnut to chocolate," as Toriel had said. Hopping onto the bed, she snuggled into the comforter with a smile as she closed her almond shaped eyes slowly. Resting her head on the pillow, she grabbed a book from her plushie-covered nightstand and turned on her small reading ligh, reading through half-closed lids.

Frisk had read this book before, many times, but it was one of her favourites. Toriel had gotten it on a trip Above Ground, apparently by a human author named Shel Silverstein. It was a book of poems called 'Falling Up' that reminded her of fond memories here. There was one about love that she liked, as it made her giggle. The logic went to nonsense and everything was whimsical and inventive - she loved it. She read through it until her eyes drooped, becoming dreary. She finished a poem about a bagpipe - and fell asleep with the book in her hands, wearing a fond smile.

She dreamed of rubber duckies.

Frisk awoke to noise in the kitchen as Toriel prepared a breakfast of sausage and buttered biscuits. It was one of Frisk's favourite pick-me-ups/breakfast foods, and she vaguely remembered it from her life Above Ground. She remembered nothing of it other than she had never grown out her hair and always loved certain foods - this being one of them. She smiled as she got dressed, tossing the pajamas into the dirty basket along with her clothes from the day before, which she had dropped on the ground. She put on a simple white tee with orange stripes, and clipped a flower of the same colour palette into her hair, brushing it. She smiled, adoring the little bow in the mirror.

She slipped out of her pajama pants and into a denim skirt that had red hearts embroidered on the pockets. She twirled in it quickly with a child-like giggle, stepping out of her room and closing the door. "Morning, mom!" She called out, strolling into the living/dining room with a groggy smile. She wiped her eyes, trying to get accustomed to the brightness of the room. "How'd you sleep?" She asks as she steps into the kitchen. Toriel turned around with a warm grin, pulling her into a hug. "I slept great, my child. And how were your dreams?"

Frisk laughed. "I dreamt of rubber ducks."

Toriel and Frisk both burst out into laughter at that, discussing their dreams as Toriel made pates of food. She wrapped them up, to which Frisk questioned. "Oh. We are heading to the skeleton brothers' house today to have breakfast - and to help them pack for their trip Up!" She smiles, to which Frisk squealed in delight. "I'll go put on some shoes, I'll meet you at the door!" She calls as she sprints to her room, slipping on some white kneesocks and some denim-coloured canvas lace-up shoes. Running out and down the stairs, she sprints out of the hallway, to the door. She was greeted shortly after by Toriel, who gave a large grin and opened the door.

A cold breeze washed over the pair as they stepped in sync through the snow and frost. Frisk waved to Snowdrake, whose mother had just been recooperating and going through therapy to get along with her comrades she was sharing a mind with. As they passed over the Gauntlet Bridge, as Frisk liked to call it, she was reminded of the childish antics pulled here when she was nine. Papyrus had matured since then, and Sans hadn't changed much.

Passing into Snowdin, she lookedat the closed Snowed Inn. The shop was still running on weekends, but not many people came anymore, as the owner was constantly maintaining Snowdin residents moving to Up There. Warm, greasy, and salty scents wafted in from Grillby's, and a frosty aroma hung over the town as Toriel and Frisk headed into the skeleton home. "We're here!" She called out, grinning. Sans waved from his usual spot on the sofa, and Papyrus grinned in from the kitchen. "HELLO, YOUR MAJESTY! HELLO, FRISK!" He greeted the pair with a warm smile. "THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHOULD HAVE PART OF BREAKFAST READY SOON! FOR NOW, SIT ON THE COUCH WITH SANS."

Frisk shrugged, letting Toriel head into the kitchen with Papyrus. Sans plopped the television remote onto the coffee table, giving Frisk his customary grin and a wave. She waved back with a smile, putting on some Mettaton show. "So, how's Papyrus' magic training going?" She asked, in hopes to break the tension.

"'s fine." He replied lazily, waving a bony hand as if to shrug it off.


	2. Feelings are Weird

Frisk fidgeted as she sat on the sofa. It seemed awkward to her, but Sans was just absently watching TV. Why did she feel so..awkward? It was just one of the skeleton brothers, she saw them almost every day. So why be so fidgety? She frowned, getting up. "I'm gonna go get a water, okay?" She said nervously, looking at the skeleton expectantly. He waved a bony hand.

"go ahead. i'm not stoppin' ya."

She exhaled heavily upon entering the kitchen, averting her eyes from the cooking scenario. She wasn't allowed to look either way. Grabbing a bottle from the fridge, she cracked it open and took a good, long gulp of the cold refreshment, gripping it in her seemingly sweaty (?!) hands as she walked back into the living room. She grabbed a magazine off of the near sidetable – one of Papyrus' favourites. Something with dogs, ironically. Flipping through it, she smiled at this month's dog spotlight. A little, white dog, fast asleep. Apparently, his name was Toby. She snorted, remembering the tricks he'd played on her. Sans looked over for a moment, confused. "you okay there, kiddo?" She just nodded, prompting him to look back at the television. Another Mettaton program. The skeleton's eye flashed blue, and the remote lifted up and changed the channel. Sans was weird like that - teleporting places, making things fly. Things like plates and stuff. But the fact he was lazy enough to do it with the remote? She burst out laughing, getting rid of her sudden stress. It was a relief.

"BREAKFAST IS READY, SANS AND FRISK!" Announced Papyrus, sticking his head out from the kitchen to say so. Frisk jumped up, glad to be away from that odd situation. Sans kind of..teleported into his chair at the table, next to his brother. Toriel sat next to Frisk, smiling. "I hope you enjoy it, my child." She murmurs, tousling Frisk's hair. There were plates served of Frisk's adoptive mother's biscuits, and something Papyrus called 'breakfast spaghetti' (it was just substituting gnocchi for spaghetti and was a bit warmer) along with glasses of water. Together it was delicious, and everyone seemed to agree.

The rest of the day consisted of many things, including playing around with Dogamy and Dogaressa. They were always competing for attention, and Frisk was glad to throw them a bone. Literally. Papyrus had lent her a bone attack to use, as the dog monsters fascinated him. There was also a visit to Gyftrot, as well as a nice chat with Glyde (who was still being quite arrogant but at least he was trying to be nice about it). At the end of the day, they sat around at the skeleton brothers' home. Sans had disappeared somewhere, and Papyrus was waving goodbye as Frisk and Toriel left.

Upon returning to the Ruins, Frisk was plagued with tiredness. She hadn't realized how long she'd been out, as there was no sun down there. Though she had decided to be ambassador at first, it had proved too hard for her, and the king took over. She had stayed Down Here for a long time, and had not considered what it would be like Up There. There was a clock on the phone Toriel had brought back for her from the Surface, though, and it was quite useful. She took it off of the bookcase in the living room, checking the time through her droopy eyelids. She leaned against the bookcase slightly, frowning.

10:37 PM.

Damn straight. She was tired as hell. Frisk sighed, slipping the phone momentarily into her pocket as she headed to her room. She didn't bother brushing her hair, though she did change into her spaghetti patterned pajamas (a gift from Papyrus) before slipping into bed. The moment was well-awaited after her momentous day, and she was out cold by the time her head hit the pillow.

Her dreams were mostly void, but for recollections of her day. That's the way it was today. The night before was just odd. She didn't even own a rubber duck - though, Papyrus did, and she once had to stay with the brothers during a time where Snowdin actually did get snowed in - and had used one only once. Well. Whatever. No use dwelling on the past.

Frisk awoke to the sweet scent of butterscotch, accompanied by a faint scent of cinnamon. It was a slice of pie. She smiled, placing it into her inventory - she wasn't quite hungry right now. She slipped into a blue tee-shirt, putting on the black hoodie Sans had gotten her for her 12th birthday. Nice things like that, was what made Frisk friends with everyone; whether the action was from her or to her. It made her happy to know she was respected.

After all, she had started out timid, and selectively mute. Ever since she'd left Toriel's comforting arms and home, she had been scared. She grew confident within herself, though. Not once had she reset.

Nor had she actually died.

Apparently, she was smarter than she had thought she'd be. Over time, she had taken lessons from all of her friends - even Sans, who gave her a lesson on pranking every Saturday. Undyne, a lesson in self-defense. Alphys, technology and stuff. Papyrus, how to be a master chef. Mettaton, with style and fitness. Muffet, who came after Papyrus to help with organization skills (especially after the messes he'd make) and schedules. Asgore, who helped her with botany and gardening.

And Toriel, who taught her everything basic. She loved all of her friends and family. She sat on her bed, thinking.

Why did she act so apprehensive yesterday? Why was she andious? It just didn't make sense. She'd known everyone for eight years. Why would she just now be nervous? She thought about the most recent prank lesson, and laughed. There was an ache in her heart. She stopped laughing.

Shit. Panic attack? What was it? She frantically jumped out, reaching for her phone. It came with a heart rate monitor. She used it, nervous.

Everything was fine. But why did she freak out? Maybe she was hungry or something. She ate the piece of pie slowly, thinking about recent events. Nothing she could gather would've hurt her. Maybe she just had a feeling..? Well, whatever. Frisk sighed, clearing her mind as she shoved her phone into her hoodie's pocket.


	3. Every Night is Alright

She shivered despite the immense heat, sweltering. Why had she not worn a tank under her sweater? Then she could've wrapped it around her waist..ugh. Frisk wiped her forehead as she pulled her hair into a ponytail, braiding a few strands to tie it together. With a sigh, she waved to Sans, who was working at his hotdog (hotcat?) station, grinning in his sleep. Maybe he was on one of his 'scheduled breaks' or something. Frisk's heart fluttered, and she giggled softly upon hearing him mutter puns and nonsensical things in his sleep. Something about 'a cup of burg each day' or something.

Frisk pushed up her sleeves, coughing as some smoke from a Vulkin got in her face. It immediately apologised, as if on the brink of tears. She shook her head. "No, it's alright! You're fine."

A few hugs and consoling words later, she had made her way towards the elevators. The Lab was nearby..good. There, she could ask Alphys to explain to her what kind of sickness she had. She groaned, sluggishly approaching a SAVE point. She pressed her hand against it, sighing in relief as a burst of chilled air swept upon her, cooling her down. She was thankful for that. Saving in case anything went wrong, she closed her eyes for a moment to relish in the nice cooldown. But it was time to trek further into the sweaty metronome of steps she'd take.

She squirmed, feeling sweat drip down her legs. It was the weirdest feeling, and sent a gross image to her mind of Shrek. One of the few things she remembered from her childhood before she fell. Ugh..just thinking about the squishy swamp environment made her cringe. She gagged, pushing the thought out of her mind as she rapped her tan fist against the door to the lab, blinking slowly.

Alphys answered almost immediately, taking Frisk's hand and guiding her up the escalator, letting the air conditioning wash over her form. She unfolded the bed, letting the girl slump upon it, catching her breath.

A few minutes later, after some water and a nice, cool towel-over-the-face, words tumbled from her mouth in a burst.

"When did Hotland get even _hotter_?"

Alphys laughed, and soon after, Frisk herself joined in, a melody of snorts and giggles mixing with Alphys' nasally, high-pitched stream. They soon calmed down, grinning at eachother. "It'll a-a-affect you m-more now th-that you're o-older." She said quietly, rubbing Frisk's back, who was still snorting a bit. "So, what ar-are the s-sym-symptoms you w-were tal-talking ab-about?"

Frisk explained them quietly. "... And they only happen when I see Sans. Is it bad? Am I allergic to grease?" She took Alphys' shoulders, frantically searching the lizard-dinosaur thing's eyes.

"...Pff! Haha! F-frisk, y-y-you ar-aren't sick.. Yo-you've got a c-crush! Oh my G-go-god! It's j-just li.."

Frisk's face was void of all but dread. Her brown, almond shaped eyes were dull until she realised what was going on. She left out a squeak of realisation, pulling Alphys into a hug. "I had suspicions...! I _always_ hated bad jokes! Now I know why I loved them. Ugh. Mom wasn't the only one rubbing off on me..!" She rambled, huffing. Alphys just laughed, rubbing her back. "It's alright. I bet he liked you too."

"Thanks, Alph. Hope the move to the Surface goes well. Tell me if you need any help packing, okay?"

Alphys gave a bright grin, her small but sharp canines showing. "N-no pr-prob-problem," she responded as Frisk exited the threshold, "and y-you c-ca-can bet I'll c-call."

—

Toriel tousled Frisk's hair as she re-entered her home, shivering. "So, what is it, my child? Are you ill?" Frisk gave a weak laugh.

"No."

"Then..what?" Toriel was concerned, her crimson-brown oculars shining with care. Frisk sat down and rubbed her head.

"...I like someone." At this, Toriel squealed, patting her back. Firsk was just confused.

"That is wonderful! You can finally embrace your inner adult instead of acting like a child," she tsked, wagglign her finger in a decent impression of Papyrus. Frisk buried her head in her hands with a moan, hiding her pink-tinted face. "Mom!"

"So, who is it?"

No answer.

"Tell me, Frisk. I'll find out eventually." There was a bit of an edge to her voice, but it was playful.

"..smmf."

"Answer me, child!" She demanded, her melodic laugh filling the room.

"..sans." It was quiet, but audible. Toriel gasped, and pulled her into a huge hug. "That's wonderful! I had a hunch. And from what I have seen," she smirked slightly, folding her hands in her lap, "you two would be perfect for eachother."

"Toriel, noooo!" Frisk groaned, laughing.

"Toriel, yes!"

It was late, or at least she thought so. She lifted her phone off of the armrest on her mother's favourite chair, checking the time with a simole swipe. It wasn't _too_ late, at least by her own standards, but it was late. It was arout ten, and she was tired as fuck. Sitting up, she yawned and undid the ponytail in her hair, letting it fall against her sides like a soft blanket. She walked sluggishly into her bedroom, closing the door with a yawn. She slipped out of her ensemble, a simple pair of jeans and a sweater overtop buckle shoes and socks. She dumped her clothes into a small basket, removing a nightgown from the armoire with yet another yawn. She cupped her hand over her mouth, then wiped her face.

The nightgown was cool compared to the heat of the house; it wasn't really sweltering or anything, but it was a bit hot for some reason. She fixed the silky blue sleeves, smiling tiredly at the nightgown. It was an ombré type one, light blue to dark with little white clouds - Toriel had made it herself, to look like the sky.

It was the most beautiful thing she knew lf.

She slipped into the crimson bedspread, curling into the sheets, snuggling into the comforter. She buried her head into the pillows, the fluffiness overtaking her. She closed her eyes with a smile, dreaming of figures frolicking in a field of golden flowers.

* * *

 _Inzpired in part by one of the reviews, haha. Thank you all for being so patient, life is hard._


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